Continuous monofilament



March 29, 1966 F. SCRAGG ETAL 3,243,339

CONTINUOUS MONOFILAMENT Filed Dec. 5, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIG. 7.-

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INVENTOR fi'dtmb Sin March 29, 1966 F. SCRAGG ETAL 3,243,339

CONTINUOUS MONOFILAMEN'I' Filed Dec. 5, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORBY "N064 (k/f a Quad frfiir'kq- All/n 7 United States Patent 3,243,339CONTINUOUS MDNOFILAMENT Frederick Scragg and Alexander Albert Chubb,both of Sunder-land St. Works, Macclesfield, England Filed Dec. 5, 1961,Ser. No. 157,080 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Dec. 6,1960, 41,955/ 60 9 Claims. (Cl. 161-179) The present invention relatesto synthetic yarns, particularly textile fibers of continuous,synthetic, filamentary form.

As is well known, textile yarns can be produced synthetically byextruding a suitable filament-forming material from a solution or meltand solidifying the resulting filaments, which are usually later twistedlightly to form a yarn of continuous filaments. Such yarn has certaindisadvantages as compared to yarn made from staple fibers, and variousattempts have been made to overcome these disadvantages. Thus, forexample, yarn made from staple fiber is twisted principally so as tohold the fibers together. As a result, the yarn which is produced inthis way has relatively little elastic extension, so that it can bereadily used for weaving. In addition, such yarn possesses bulk not onlyby virtue of the fact that all of the fibers are of slightly differentshapes and therefore repel one another by mechanical pressure, but alsobecause the ends of the fibers often protrude from the yarn, thus givingit a soft, springy handle.

Various attempts have been made to modify the shape of the filaments ofwhich a continuous filament yarn is composed in order to simulate thesetwo properties. Thus, the bulk and soft handle have been simulated byimparting to each filament of an artificial continuous filament yarn aseries of distortions of more or less random character so that the yarnitself becomes of large diameter and of soft handle. Such yarns,however, inevitably have a minimum elastic extension on the order of 10%and this extension limits not only the use of the yarns but themechanical stresses to which they may be subjected during manufacture ofcloth therefrom. Moreover, it has been found that with yarns of thischaracter, since the filaments themselves are not broken but extendangularly to the axis of the yarn in a series of curls or loops, theresulting yarn is apt to catch on the fingers of handlers of the yarnthus initiating pilling.

While it has already been proposed to cut up continuous filament yarns,form them into sliver, and then spin the sliver, this process is lengthyand expensive, and the resultant yarn is not always as satisfactory asthat made from natural fibers owing to the smooth surface of theartificial filaments and the need for applying a high degree of twist inorder to hold them firmly in the yarn.

It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to provide asynthetic yarn which approaches the properties of a natural yarn to agreater degree than any hitherto known synthetic yarn.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a process andapparatus capable of producing such a synthetic yarn in a continuousmanner.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a processand apparatus which is both simple and inexpensive and which at the sametime is capable of producing a synthetic yarn which very closelyapproaches the properties of a natural yarn.

It is furthermore an object of the present invention to provide aprocess and apparatus capable of producing continuously a plurality ofsynthetic monofilaments which will very closely approach the propertiesof natural yarns.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a processand apparatus capable of continuously producing synthetic yarns of theabove type from any 3,243,339 Patented Mar. 29, 1966 plastic materialsso that the invention is not limited to the use of any particularmaterial.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a process andapparatus which is not only simple and inexpensive but which also can bevery easily operated without extensive delicate controls by relativelyunskilled personnel so as to produce synthetic yarns which very closelyapproach the properties of natural yarns, as discussed above.

With these objects in view, the invention includes a monofilament whichhas an elongated continuous filament trunk and a plurality of filamentbranches dis tributed along the trunk, branching therefrom, and beingformed integrally therewith, these branches having any desiredpreselected relationship with respect to the trunk of the monofilament.In accordance with the present invention the process for manufacturingthe monofilament of the invention includes the step of continuouslymoving an endless mold surface which has formed therein an endlesselongated cavity and a plurality of branch cavities branching therefromso that upon introduction of a suitable plastic material into thesecavities the monofilament of the invention may be molded. The plasticmaterial, after it has at least partially set in the mold cavities, maybe continuously withdrawn therefrom and cooling can take place eitherwhile the plastic material is still in the mold or immediately after theplastic material leaves the mold. The apparatus for producing the yarnof the invention includes, in accordance with the present invention, atleast one mold body having an exterior surface which is adapted to becontinuously moved, which is endless, and which formed therein theelongated endless cavity and the plurality of branch cavities extendingtherefrom, and the apparatus includes a means for introducing into thesecavities a plastic material which at least partly sets in the cavitiesbefore being withdrawn therefrom.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for theinvention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. Theinvention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method ofoperation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, willbe best understood from the following description of specificembodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of one possible apparatusfor producing a synthetic yarn according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary developed view of the endless surface of a moldbody according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic side elevation of another embodiment of anapparatus according to the present invention capable of producingsynthetic yarn according to the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic sectional view of still another embodiment ofan apparatus according to the present invention for producing the yarnof the invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the machine illustrated therein includes a pair ofrotary bodies 11 and 12 in the form of rollers of substantiallycylindrical configuration supported for rotation about their axes,respectively, and driven from any suitable source of power and throughany suitable transmission in such a way that the rollers 11 and 12simultaneously turn at the same speed in opposite directions with theroller 12 turning in a clockwise direction and the roller 11 turning ina counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 1. In accordance withthe present invention the endless exterior surface of at least one ofthese rollers is formed with an elongated endless cavity and a pluralityof branch cavities branching from the endless cavity. This constructionis illustrated in detail in FIG. 2 where the exterior surface of one ofthe rollers 11 and 12,

the roller 12, for example, is shown in fragmentary developed view. Inthe particular example illustrated one of the molds is formed by theelongated endless cavity 13a and the plurality of branch cavities 13branching substantially laterally therefrom, as shown in FIG. 2. It willbe noted that the branches 13 branch in a regular manner from theelongated endless cavity 13a. The rollers formed with an intermediateelongated endless cavity 14a having a plurality of branch cavities 14branching therefrom, and while the branch cavities 14 are fairly regularthey are distributed along the endless cavity 14a at irregularintervals. The exterior surface of the roller is also formed with athird elongated endless cavity a having the branch cavities 15 branchingtherefrom substantially laterally as indicated in FIG. 2. It will benoted that with this arrangement the branch cavities 15 are more or lesshaphazard both in form and in distribution, so that the branch cavitiesand their distribution is irregular. It is to be understood that whilethree different types of mold cavities are illustrated in FIG. 2, anydesired combinations of mold cavities may be provided on a movingendless surface. Thus, there may be 1, 2 or 3 mold cavities 13, 13a, 14,14a, or 15, 15a, or any one or more of these types of cavities may beincluded on a mold body which has a continuously moving surface formedwith a cavity. It is only required that the continuously moving moldsurface be formed with an endless elongated mold cavity and a pluralityof branch cavities branching therefrom. The mold cavities may be formedin any suitable way such as by engraving, or by cutting with a suitablemachine tool. In addition, the mold cavity may be formed by aphotographic process in which the mold cavity is chemically etched. Withthis latter process the desired shape is originally drawn at a size manytimes greater than the final size of the mold cavity, and then thedrawing is photographed onto the surface of the mold body and thereafterthe chemical etching takes place, as is well known.

With the arrangement shown in FIG. 1, the mold cavity or the moldcavities may be formed either in the exterior endless surface of theroller 12 or in the exterior endless surface of the roller 11 or in bothof these endless surfaces.

Where this latter form is used, the mold cavity in one of the endlesssurfaces is a mirror image of the mold cavity in the other of theendless surfaces and of course the pair of rollers are moved in such away that there is perfect synchronism between the rollers. Where onlyone of the rollers is formed with the mold cavity the other rollerserves to close the mold.

, In the example illustrated in FIG. 1 an extrusion press 16 ispositioned so as to discharge an extrusion, which may be in strip form,directly into the nip between the rollers 11 and 12 which are driven ata speed having an appropriate relationship to the rate of extrusion. Inaccordance with the particular material which is being molded, eitherone or both of the rollers 11 and 12 may be heated. For example, eitherone or both of these rollers may have an electrical heating elementembedded therein and connected through slip rings at the exterior of therollers at a side surface thereof to slide contacts which are located ina suitable electrical circuit for energizing the heating elements andthus heating either one of both of the rollers 11 and 12. A suitablethermoplastic molding composition, in chip or powder form, for example,is fed into the extrusion press 16 from which a liquid or partiallysolidified extrusion passes between the rollers 11, 12 and is forcedinto the mold cavities to be molded therein. Where the extrusions are instrip form, the excess material will be squeezed from the surfaces ofthe rollers at those parts of the surface which are not formed with moldcavities and the excess material can simply drip from the rollers into asuitable container or may be withdrawn therefrom by a suitable suctionpump or the like, for example. The one or more filaments which arecontinuously molded in this way are continuously withdrawn from thecontinuously moving mold surface or surfaces by any suitable take-upmeans 21 which winds the filaments or filament 20 into a suitablepackage. Thus, in the illustrated example three filaments 20 will besimultaneously withdrawn and wound into a package. A blower 17 providescooling air which is blown through a suitable conduit in the spacebetween a pair of bafiles 18 and 19 so that this cooling fluid engagesthe plastic material immediately when the material leaves the mold so asto accelerate the setting of the material Which has already partiallyset in the mold itself, and thus the blower effects cooling andsolidification of the filament or filaments as they are continuouslywound up into packages by the take-up means 21.

In the embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in FIG. 3 theextrusion means 16 feeds the extrusion or extrusions into the nipbetween the roller 12 and a second mold body in the form of an endlessbelt 22 which is situated so as to have one of its runs engaging theexterior surface of the roller 12 along a substantial portion of theperiphery thereof. In this case also either the exterior surface of theroller 12 or the endless surface of the belt 22 may be engraved orotherwise treated so as to have the mold cavities formed therein. Itshould be noted, in connection with the above-described embodiments,that instead of extruding strips of plastic material or a singlerelatively wide strip of plastic material, it is also possible toextrude into the mold cavity a substantially rod-shaped extrusion withone rod-shaped extrusion being introduced into each mold cavity and thematerial of the extrusion being just sufiicient to fill the mold cavitywhile being pressed therein by the cooperation of the rollers. Ofcourse, in the case of FIG. 3, any suitable drive means cooperates withthe endless belt 22 so as to drive the same at a linear speed which isequal to the peripheral speed of the roller 12 with the lower run of thebelt 22 advancing from left to right, as viewed in FIG. 3, in the casewhere the roller 12 rotates in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG.3.

A further embodiment of an apparatus and process according to thepresent invention is illustrated in FIG. 4 Where the rotary mold body 31is in the form of a roller also formed in its exterior surface by any ofthe abovereferred to methods with an elongated endless mold cavity and aplurality of branch cavities branching therefrom, this arrangement beingdescribed above in connection with FIG. 2. With the embodiment of FIG. 4the rotary mold body 31 is again driven to any suitable means and itsexterior periphery dips into a bath 34 of molten plastic material whichis picked up by the rotary mold body 31. A heating element 33 cooperateswith the bath 34 to maintain the plastic material in a molten condition,and the properties of the plastic material are such that it will clingto the exterior surface of the roller 31 as the latter turns. A doctor35 engages the exterior surface of the mold body to wipe therefrom allof the excess plastic material which is not located in the moldcavities, and one or more cooling nozzles 36 are provided for directinga stream of cooling air against the exterior surface of the mold bodywhile the plastic material is still in the cavities thereof. A take-upmeans 37 is provided for continuously withdrawing the plastic filamentsfrom the continuously rotating mold body 31 in the form of one or morepackages. Instead of being cooled by streams of cooling fluid issuingfrom the one or more nozzles 36, it is possibleto simply allow coolingto take place by the ambient air which is at room temperature.

In accordance with the present invention, an arrangement similar to thatof FIG. 4 may be provided wherein instead of a bath 34, an endless beltis provided with a layer of the molten plastic material and the rotatingmold body engages a run of this belt on which the layer of plastic islocated so that the plastic material is delivered in this way to themold body, and with such an arrangement because the belt presses againstthe exterior surface of the roller it is possible to eliminate thedoctor.

The material injected between the mold members, in

5 the embodiments of FIGS. 1 or 3, may be extruded in the form of a thincontinuous band which is pressed into the mold cavities, as describedabove, or if the material is soluble it can be injected in the form of asolution, and the solvent is later removed. The filament material may beinjected under pressure in the form of a flying jet into the elongatedendless cavity and the pressure exerted on the filament-forming materialcauses it to spread into the side branches of the cavity. In any casethe filament material remains in the mold cavities until at leastpartial setting thereof. The cold air blast which cools the materialproduces at least partial solidification of the filament which isstripped off the mold and wound onto a bobbin preferably with otherfilaments which are formed at the same time. In the case Where thefilament contains a solvent, this latter may be either rapidlyevaporated or the filament may be sprayed with a material which causesthe solvent to deposit filament material from the solution.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, any melt may be provided from allthermoplastic filament-forming or fiberforming plastics such as nylon,which is a polyamide; dacron; which is a terephthalic acid-ethyleneglycol polyester (also known as terylene); vinyon which is avinylchloride-vinylacetate polymer; saran which is avinylchloride-vinylidene chloride polymer; and the like thermoplastics.In the melting process to produce the bath shown in FIG. 4, thetemperature which is used should be as close as possible to the meltingpoint of the particular plastic, and is generally about to C. above themelting point. Thus, for example, in the case of nylon or dacron, thetemperature may be about 250 C., or higher.

Where the plastic is in a solvent, any thermoplastic filament-forming orfiber-forming material may be used, and also the apparatus and processshown in FIGS. 1-3 is applicable to all other synthetic fibers, such asviscose and the regenerated celluloses in general including alsocellulose acetate. This process is also applicable to orlon which is apolyacrylonitrile. Any suitable solvent for the plastic may be used,such as formic acid, cresol and phenol in the case of nylon,dimethylformamide in the case of orlon, chloroform in the case ofvinyon, etc.

In the case of regenerated cellulose it is best to proceed as it comesfrom the manufacturer, i.e. extruded in the form of xanthate and tospray the extrusion with a precipitating solution, for example of 10%sulfuric acid and 20% sodium sulfate in water.

In the case of cellulose diacetate, the same is extruded in moltencondition at a temperature somewhat greater than 250 C., the temperaturemay be as high as 500 F., using a heated grid at the throat of the pressitself, just before the die. It may be cooled by means of air or ringswhich are water cooled. The diacetate is squeezed into the nozzle bymeans of a screw press in the form of powder.

The diacetate may also be used in the form of a very thick solution inacetone, the solution then being dried by means of warm air at atemperature of about 134 F.

Cellulose triacetate may be extruded in molten condition at atemperature of 570-580 F., or it may be extruded in the form of asolution thereof in methylene chloride in which case the solvent isevaporated by means of dry air at a temperature of 150 F.

Nylon may be treated in the same manner as cellulose diacetate, e.g. bysqueezing the powder in through a screw press and melting at the throatof the press itself just before the die by means of a heated grid. Thetemperature may be about 250285 C. depending on the nature of thematerial. The cooling may be accomplished by a water cooled ring or byan air blast.

Terylene or dacron may be treated in the same manner as nylon using atemperature of about 480 F.

Acrylan and orlon may be treated in the form of a sticky solutionthereof in dimethyl formamide which softens the aerylan or orlon andthen dried by air at a temperature of about 150 F.

Rhovyl which is polyvinyl chloride is used in the form of a solutionthereof in acetone or by melting at a temperature of about 365 F.

Polypropylene is used by melting at a temperature somewhat greater than330 F.

The particular temperature and/or solvent may be determined for anyparticular plastic from the handbooks which are available or by simpleprotesting. In general the temperature chosen should be controlledwithin rather close limits to avoid damage to the plastic.

The take-up means provided above in any of the embodiments of FIGS. 1, 3or 4, will provide on the collecting bobbin the number of parallelsynthetic filaments having projections of desired length formed alongthe length of the filaments. Inasmuch as nearly all synthetic filamentsrequire drawings in order to improve their tenacity, a number ofbranched filaments suflicient to make a yarn of desired final denier istwisted together, the twisting being effected in such a manner that asmany as possible of the side projections are twisted into the resultantyarn and are held firmly by the twist. The resultant twisted yarn is nowdrawn either hot or cold depending on the nature of the filamentmaterial, to an extent which will improve its tenacity, the sideprojections from the filament being drawn at the same time as thefilaments themselves by the cohesion of all of the parts of the twistedyarn. Subsequently to drawing, the filaments are at least partially butpreferably nearly wholly untwisted, or even reverse twisted, and theside projections may be shaken or brushed loose from the filamentstructure so as to project from the resultant yarn. Once the projectionshave been secured in this way, the yarn may be twisted to a ratherhigher degree, if desired.

In accordance with the present invention the branches of eachmonofilament have a length which its at least as great as or at leasttwice as great as the average diameter of the trunk of the filament. Infact, the branches may be five times the length of the average trunkdiameter and preferably are at least ten times the average trunkdiameter.

Also in accordance with the present invention it is possible to extrudea continuous filament having a central cylindrical core or trunk whichis simultaneously provided with a thinner radially extending web or finon one side and an identical radially extending diametrically opposedweb or fin. The filament which is obtained in this way is given arelatively high twist which is suificient to break the webs or fins fromtheir edge inwardly toward the axis of the filament, and the resultantyarn will thus have a central non-extendable core surrounded by a seriesof thin fiuffy projections composed of broken webs or fins. Thereafterthe filament may be drawn and doubled with others so as to make a yarnof desired denier.

The branched filaments which are produced in accordance with the presentinvention by a molding process as described above may be drawn and ifdesired twisted together so as to make multi-filament yarns.

It will be seen that with the monofilament of the invention the crosssection of the trunk formed in the endless circumferential grooves ofthe rollers is in no way diminished by the branches which are made frommaterial added to the trunk, so that in this way the trunk of themonofilament of the invention is not weakened as would be the case ifthe material of the branches were derived from the body of the trunk.Moreover, it will be seen that while branch arrangements'such asindicated for the branches 14 and 15 in FIG. 2 give the filament of theinvention the appearance of haphazard branches both with respect totheir size and distribution, in fact, since the monofilament of theinvention is derived from a preformed mold the branches inevitably havea predetermined configuration and distribution according to apredetermined repeating pattern so that the appearance of haphazardbranches extending from the trunk of the monofilament is purely a matterof appearance and the result of predetermined repeating patterns of thenature indicated in FIG. 2.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or twoor more together, may also find a useful application in other types ofyarns difiering from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied insynthetic yarns, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown,since various modifications and structural changes may be made withoutdeparting in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist ofthe present invention that others can by applying current knowledgereadily adapt it for various applications without omitting featuresthat, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essentialcharacteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this inventionand, therefor-e, such adaptions should and are intended to becomprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A continuous monofilament comprising a continuous filament trunk ofpredetermined cross section and a plurality of filament branches formedintegrally with said trunk and extending therefrom spaced and out ofcontact with each other, each branch having a length at least equal totwice the average diameter of the trunk and tapering in thickness fromits base which is integral with said trunk towards its free end.

2. A continuous synthetic yarn comprising at least one continuousfilament trunk and a plurality of filament branches located adjacenteach other and distributed along said trunk according to a predeterminedpattern of distribution which repeats itself along successive givenlengths of said trunk, said branches being formed integrally with saidtrunk spaced and out of contact with each other and tapering inthickness from their respective bases which are integral with said trunktoward their free ends.

3. A continuous synthetic yarn composed of at least one continuousfilament trunk of a predetermined cross section and a plurality offilament branches formed integrally therewith and extendingsubstantially laterally therefrom, said branches being located adjacentto each other and distributed according to a predetermined repeatingpattern along said trunk and each branch having a length at least equalto twice the average diameter of the trunk spaced and out of contactwith each other and tapering in thickness from its base which isintegral with said trunk towards its free end.

4. A continuous monofilament comprising a continuous filament trunk anda plurality of filament branches formed integrally therewith, saidbranches being located adjacent each other, and distributed according toa predetermined repeating pattern along said trunk, each branch having alength which is at least five times the diameter of the trunk spaced andout of contact with each other and tapering in thickness from its basewhich is integral with said trunk towards its free end.

5. A continuous monofilament comprising a continuous filament trunk anda plurality of filament branches formed integrally therewith, saidbranches being located adjacent each other and distributed according toa predetermined repeating pattern of distribution along said filamenttrunk,

each branch having a length which is at least ten times the averagediameter of the trunk spaced and out of contact with each other andtapering in thickness from its base which is integral with said trunktowards its free end.

6. A continuous monofilament comprising a continuous filament trunk ofsubstantially uniform cross section and a plurality of filament branchesintegral with and extending from said trunk spaced and out of contactwith each other, said branches being substantially identical andsubstantially uniformly distributed along said trunk and tapering inthickness from their respective bases which are integral with said trunktoward their free ends.

7. A continuous monofilament comprising a continuous filament trunk ofsubstantially uniform cross section and a plurality of filament branchesintegral with and extending from said trunk spaced and out of contactwith each other, said branches being substantially identical anddistributed according to a predetermined repeating, but apparentlyhaphazard, pattern along said trunk and tapering in thickness from theirrespective bases which are integral with said trunk toward their freeends.

8. A continuous monofilament comprising a continuous filament trunk anda plurality of filament branches integral with and extending from saidtrunk spaced and out of contact with each other, said filament brancheshaving predetermined but apparently haphazard configurations andtapering in thickness from their respective bases which are integralwith said trunk toward their free ends.

9. A continuous monofilament comprising a continuous filament trunk ofsubstantially uniform cross section and a plurality of filament branchesintegral with and extending from said trunk spaced and out of contactwith each other, said filament branches having predetermined butapparently haphazard configurations, and being in a predeterminedrepeating, but apparently haphazard, pattern distributed along saidtrunk and tapering in thickness from their respective bases which areintegral with said trunk toward their free ends.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 790,918 5/1905Dupont 18-12 934,214 9/ 1909 Ratignier et al. 1,108,155 8/1914 Ellis161169 1,454,058 5/1923 Lowe 18-12 1,539,052 5/1925 McCrohan et al. 1812X 2,199,400 5/1940 Geier et al. 161-172 X 2,517,694 8/1950 Merion et al.28-82 2,715,763 8/1955 Marley 28-82 2,895,170 7/1959 Carlile 1847.52,922,193 1/1960 Bonfiglio 1847.5 3,096,563 7/1963 Messinger 161-179 X3,097,991 7/1963 Miller et al. 161-469 X 3,127,915 4/1964 Bottomley161--179 X FOREIGN PATENTS 624,991 8/1961 Canada.

ALEXANDER WYMAN, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM STEPHENSON, EARL M. BERGERT,

Examiners.

W. L. MCBAY, A. I. SMEDEROVAC, M. SUSSMAN,

Assistant Examiners.

1. A CONTINUOUS MONOFILAMENT COMPRISING A CONTINUOUS FILAMENT TRUNK OFPREDETERMINED CROSS SECTION AND A PLURALITY OF FIALMENT BRANCHES FORMEDINTEGRALLY WITH SAID TRUNK AND EXTENDING THEREFROM SPACED AND OUT OFCONTACT WITH EACH OTHER, EACH BRANCH HAVING A LENGTH AT LEAST EQUAL TOTWICE THE AVERAGE DIAMETER OF THE TRUNK AND TAPERING IN THICKNESS FROMITS BASE WHICH IS INTEGRAL WITH SAID TRUNK TOWARDS ITS FREE END.